Grass seed harvester



Sept. 7 1943. E. M. DOWD ETAL GRASS SEED mnvnsm'n Filed Aug. 22, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 7, 1943.

E. M. DOWD EI'AL GRASS SEED HARVESTER Filed Aug. 22, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 u f kIr/IMDawp n00 CZA ENcESJa/MsrvM gmms device for blowing that I l] designates 7 hold the cog 16 in such a structure.-

Patented Sept. 7, 1943 Erith M3 nowa' aliq cinem s.--J6 1mston,

Amarillo, Tex; Gamma I ohnston executrix of said Clarence 'S. Johnstorndcceased t Applicatieh nugustzsz, 194 s ri Noi 407,970

This

. d by 4ciaim (cite-.4125 .1 invention relates to" grass seed harvesters,

and more particularly to a harvester for 'l iarvesting buffalo grass seed.

One of the principal alias of 'this invention is the production of'a simple and efficient means for blowing'seed which is lying upon the ground, into the machine as the machine'p'asses over the ground. Y y A further object of this invention'is the production 'of a buffalo grass seed harvester which is so constructed as to efficiently pickup" the seed lying upon the ground by means of a' blowing v the seedinto the machine, then thrashing the seed and finallybaggin'grthe seed. 1

other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughoutthe following specification and claims. p

In the: drawings: v Figure l is a top plan view of the harvester,

certain parts being shown in section;

' Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevationalview-j Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure ibi a vertical sectional view taken on line ie-40f Figure 3;

' veyor 24 passes over "Figure 5 is a rear elevational View; certain parts being shown in section; V d i 0 @Figure' 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 6- 6 ofiFigure 3; H

Figure '7 s a fragmentaryvertical sectional view taken on'line i--'| of Figure 3;

" Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view of a portion of the, canvas belting strip carried by the lower end of the runway By referring to the drawin's, itwill be seen the fra'mebf the grass seed harvester which'is provided withasuitable tractor or draft hitch ll at its forward end; The frame ls supports a body l2, which body carries the operating mechanism of 'theharvester, as hereinafter described. A 5 pair of supporting wheels l3 support a crank axle M, which crank axle supports the frame Ii], as shown in Figure 3.

A vertical rack i5 is carried by the axleflfl, in the manner as shown in Figure 2; and is engaged by a cog lfii which is controlled by a pawl of a suitable structure to facilitate raising and lowering of the frame 10 away from or'toward the ground. The cog may be operated'bya rernov- Lable crank if desired, crmay beoperated in any conventional'manner. Thegpawlis adapted to asetposition, as is usual with 'A power plantglll" is carried ,ureslan d 3. d t l p .QA sickle ba' l8, for cutting tall grass, is carried near the forward end of the frame ID by t a suspended frame I9 which frame i9 is hung at the rear'end 'of the body 12, as shownin Fig- :from the frame it by means of the pivoted hanger arms 23. The suspended mower bar supporting frame i9 is adjustable vertically by means of the threaded rods! l and threaded wheels 22 carried near the forward end of the frame It]. Rollers 23 are carried by the ends of-the sus-' pended frame I9, and a slatted endless conthe rollers 23 and transversely of the frame l9. A pan 25 is carried by the frame ISbelow. the conveyor 24 and the slats 'of the conveyor 24 areadapted to drag any loose seed off the pani''toward the right of the machine. The stems and weeds are conveyed to the left as they drop upon thetop'of the conveyor 24 after being cut by the sickle bar 18'; The sickle bar I8 and conveyor 24 are driven from a suitable tractor located in front of the machine and connected to the shaft 23. The forward end of the body 12 is braced by means of a bracing arm Z'Las shown in Figure 3.

The-body I2 is provided with a forward and upwardly inclined runway 28 at the bottom of thebody. This runway 28 is provided with an open lower rear end 29and directly in the rear of and slightly spaced from the rear end 29 are the-air blastfdischarge ends 38 of theblower the power plant tubes 3|. These tubes 3| pass downwardly from the fanhousings32, in which h0usings 32 are mountedfans 33. The fans 33 are driven from H, A plurality of vibrator spring fingers 34 are hung at 35 near the open rear end 29 of the runway 28 forrattling, raking,

.or shaking the seed loose from the stems of the grass as the machine passes over the cut grass which is lying upon the ground, so that the seed ,may be blown into the runway by the air blast from'the blower tube'v3i. i

A threshing cylinder 33 is mounted in the upwardlycurved end 31 of the runway 28, and the top wallof the body l2 at this point is perforated .ori slotted, as at 38. A slotted or perforated shield plate 39 is located just below the slotted top wall 38. v This structure will permit the dust to escape and will providemeans for lowering-the air pressurewhich accumulates in the body 12 of'the machine. A pairjof vibrator sieves til and 4L one arranged above the other, are carried in the body I! in therear of andbelow; the dischargeendfl of the runway 28. The sievesfifl and M-are spaced by links 43, and theselinks 43 are supthreshing compartment 52 of the body 12.

ported upon the pivotedsupporting links 44. A

i draw hitch or tongue 45 is connected at one end 4|. The eccentric 46 is carried by the shaft 41, 5

and this shaft 41 is driven by a belt 48. The belt is driven from the fan shaft 49. The cylinder 36 is driven from. -a belt, 50 and a pulle carried by the shaft :41. :i

An endless scraper belt 53 is mounted in parallel relation to the wall 5!, and this belt 53 is ipro- -i vided with suitable cleats 54 l-tolpick up tlie se ed' 115 as the seed drops through the sievesr llhandALj These cleats 54 also scrape the seed toward the lower end of the vertical screw conveyor 55,'as

shown in Figure 3, along the wall 5!. The cone veyor 53 passesover therollers 55 and 51. The

conveyor 53 is driven by the roller 5l which roller .51 is driven by a belt 58, the belt 58'being'in um, driven from the shaft 49." Thescrew coneyor 55 is mounted in a vertical elevator tube V 5.9, the lower end of which opens adjacent the -15 picked up by the air 'blastand forced upthrough the runway 28 and'will then be *carriedthrough lower end of the scraper belt 53. The upper end ,of the tube 59is turned downwardly andzsupports a removable seed-receivingbag iiil,

A canvas transversely extending conveyor belt BI ,is mounted in the bodyli under the rearjend so of the. sieves 40 land 4L The belt 6! extends outwardly beyond the left side of thebodyflz to dump the stems of the grass to the'left of'the machine.

which shaft 64; is driven by a belt '55I from a pulley 65 carried by the shaft 41. The belt .53 is .alsodrivensby the belt lil. i aTh'e vertical screw conveyor 55 ismdriven'by {V gears; 5B2.11dr63. The gear 68 is carried by a :shaft 35, which shaft is driven by the beltll! :froin .the shaft 5'! which carries the roller .51.

A sleeve .1 I Iis;carriedbyrthegshait 35and supports the fingersfi l. 1 V 4 a 1 A strong canvasibelting'strip l2, extendsitransversely across the lower-seed-entranceend of the runway 28, and a pluralitylof spring fingers,

ar'e carried by thelowerend ofthegrunwayfla and I contact-the belting strip 12. and press-downwardly structure will prevent the seed vfrom blowing in i ,cut by the sickle or mower'bar 1'8; and the-grass then'ialls upon the conveyor 24 which dep'ositsthe 2m grass upon the ground to the left of the machine.

The seed from the grass lays upon' the surface of'the ground, andas the machine moves for- "wardly the air blast from the blower tubes-ti will ibelting strip 12 being held snugly -in-- engagement with the surface of the ground. This strip at, as explained above, willdirect the seed ---up into the runway 28; and will prevent the seed from-being "blown under'or beyond the runway; "spring r fingers 34, in the meantimewill rake and:'shaie 'lthe seed 'from the stems of the grass lyingfnpon "the ground andfacilitate the blowing .of the seed up into the runway '23:" -As the seed'is'blown up tl'irough' the runway -28; thisseed 'wil'li ass the a bottom downwardly inclined floor for the the bag at.

a le-l f This belt 6| is driven-by the gears 62 and 623. "-The'gear 62 is driven by a shaftfi l,

threshing cylinder 35 which will assist in remov- 7 ing the seed from any particles of grass stems which may have been blown up the runway 28,.

and this material is then dropped upon the shak ing sieves and 4|, the stems and other debris' falling upon the conveyor 6| and the loose seed dropping upon the conveyor 53. ,The loose seed is then'carried by the conveyor: andscraped from V l i i V i the,-wal1..5l' toward the lowergendfofz the elevator The upper wall 5| Of the runway 28 constitutes 10 tube 59 by the screw conveyor and begged in The stems and other debris which falls upon the conveyor 6|, which conveyor extends transversely of the body [2, will be deposited the machine and dropped upon the the machine with respect to the ground. The

I andthreaded rods 21 As the machin .passes'on itsfnext round, the

deposited debris and; stems from which the seed has not as yet: been totally removed will again be the same pathof travel as previously described.

jQn'e of the important features of *thepresent in entiori is, the' prlnciplejof blowing the seed fromthe ground up through the runway '28 and into thebody jofthe inachinefwhere the seed, stems" and other debris, will beproperly'threshed to reznovefthe seedfrom the stems and other debris. f Having described, the'invention, what we claim as newis: f j: 1"

1. .A'seed harvester comprising a body adapte'd to be movedover the surface orthe ground upon which seed and stems of out grain have been deposited, said bodyfhaving an entrance opening inllsthe bottom""thereof for admitting cut grain, 'said'entrance opening having front and .rear ends, .a flexible apron extending across one'end er the entrance opening'land contacting "the in the b otto m thereof .for admitting out grain,

said entrance openinghaving frontandrear ends, a zflexible'apron extendingacross one end of the entrance opening and contacting the ground; a blower having a discharge openingdocated'flt the opposite end of thesaid entrance opening and spaced tram the apron for'blovving cut grain in:

an approximately horizontalplane across said entrance" opening and upon said apron,v and "a raking means interposedt'betweensa id discharge opening of said blower and said flexible apron.

' 3. A seed' harvester 'comprisinga body adapted to bemove'd over the'surface ofthe ground upon whi'chseed and 'stems of cut grainhave been deposited, s'aid-Fbody having an entranceopening in the bottom thereof for admitting out grain, said entrance opening having front' andirear ends, :9.

fiexible aprcn extending acrossuohe end of the entrance opening and contacting 'the ground, :a.-

blower havingrfa'discharge opening located at the As previously-explained, the wheels 13 may be I adjusted by, means of the cog I6 and rack bar I5 to regulate the position of the body and frame of opposite end of the'said entrance opening and spaced from the apron for blowing out grain in an approximately horizontal plane across said entrance opening and .upon said apron, and yieldable means engaging said apron for yieldably holding the apron in contact with the ground and preventing the blast from said blowerfrom lifting the apron.

4. A seed harvester comprising a body adapted to be moved over the surface of the ground upon which seed and stems of cut grain have been deposited, said body having an entrance opening in the bottom thereof for admitting cut grain, said entrance opening having front and rear ends,

outer free end for flexibly holding the apron in contact with the ground.

ERITI-I M. DOWD. CLARENCE S. JOHNSTON. 

